Satyrs
"Oh, yes, all wisdom is found in passion. By the way, your eyes look lovely by firelight..." Satyrs are both wise and horny. They enjoy food, wine, philosophy, and the throwes of lust. Passionate to the end, they dive wholeheartedly into all they do, which mostly includes wine and parties. There are those who satiate their desires through the persuit of knowledge, and indeed the Satyrs can be some of the most intelligent of the Kithians with their debates, poetry, and music. However, theory gets old after awhile, and even the most scholarly Satyr eventually gets embroiled with some practice. Strong, uninhibited, and charismatic, the goats live life freely, engage in love freely, and trade intellect and wit freely. They have an affinity with the Fae realm. Appearance and Lifestyles Satyrs are lean and furry. Men and women alike sport longer hair and barely shave. Their strong, fur-covered legs resemble goat legs, complete with hooves at the end. Small horns protrude from their foreheads. Given their passionate nature, they are sensual beings without restraint. The clothes they do wear are durable and easily removed. Satyrs, while passionate, don't grasp the emotional bond that comes along with lust. As such, Satyrs never keep one partner for long, which, while normal to the goats, can also cause a lot of problems for them. While the Seelie will at least attempt to understand his lover's plight, the Unseelie will pity his lover, then ravage her for his own gain. When in the grips of passion, chaos flows as freely as the drink. Satyrs can be a clannish sort; they are normally involved with groups called Tragos, which are often extended families. While lovers come and go, Tragos stay the course, and often provide support and shelter in times of need. When a Satyr dies, his or her Trago holds an immense wake complete with mourning and frenzied dancing and music. Music is a popular persuit for Satyrs. As such, many persue careers related to music. Clubs, pubs, bars, and breweries are also potent attracts to the goats. With their store of impressive stamina, jobs requiring hearty individuals also fit Satyrs nicely. From the Changeling: The Dreaming Corebook, Second Edition: "Childling Satyrs are also known as "fauns". Learning the essential skills in life--like singing, music, running and wrestling--are among their primary concerns. Their musical performances are usually exquisite. Childlings have four soft tiny nubs for horns. "Wilders are the very essence of fae chaos: lecherous, rambunctious, and wild. Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow you'll be old. Each pair of nubs grows together to form two horns. The size of a male's horns are a source of pride, as well as the brunt of numerous jokes. Six inches is about average display for a male's display of virility; a female's horns are a bit smaller. "Grumps seek wisdom to escape from the sadness of their lost youth. Although they enjoy a good drink and a spirited debate, they know their best years are behind them. When a greybeard's sorrow becomes too great, his Trago takes him out for one last epic fling. The grump dies at dawn the next day. The horns of a greybeard Satyr are impressively large, and they often curve back along the top of the head like a ram's. Birthrights, Fralties, Merits, and Flaws As with all Kiths, Satyrs have some traits exclusive to them. 'Birthrights' Gift of Pan - Dionysian revelry is high ritual to these fae. Singing, music, and dance can be used to stir fae and mortals alike to the height of carnal passion. Anyone who fails a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) is swept away by hidden desires and the activity of the evening. After an hour or two, the Banality of those in the area slowly drops. Everyone involved, mortal or not, has his permanent Banality lowered by one for as long as the Satyrs continue to perform. Tragos can combine their efforts to lower Banality even further. Each Satyr fueling the fire can lower the revelers' temporary Banality by one more, to a minimum of 2. These effects last only for as long as the Satyrs continue to entertain. Lost Banality returns at the rate of one point per hour. Physical Prowess - All Satyrs add one to their Stamina, even if this increases it above 5. This bonus is in effect at all times. When they call upon the Wyrd and take their faerie form, or when not in the presence of mortals or the unenchanted, their goat legs can carry them at shocking speeds. Each turn, they can move 25 yards + three times their Dexterity. Regardless of form, Satyrs can never botch Athletics rolls. 'Fralties' Passion's Curse - Passion has its unpleasant moments as well. Satyrs are prone to wild mood swings, especially when they're drunk. With the slightest of provocation, they may explode into a torrent of fury or a fit of weeping. Furthermore, on the rare occasions when they try to resist temptation, the difficulties for all Willpower rolls are increased by two. 'Merits' Voice of a Songbird (1pt) - All Satyrs sing, but not all of them have a voice that charms the apples from the trees. You do. the Gift of Pan carries through your voice and inspires passion without the use of a musical instrument. You have perfect pitch and can sing acappella without missing a single note or going off-key. Even when only speaking, your voice has a seductive quality that attracts people to you. This trait can be especially useful when trying to persuade others or when attempting to win over a potential lover. Whenever you make a Social roll that involves speaking or singing, add 1 to the dice pool. Flexible Heart (2pts) - Satyrs are the most tender-hearted of the Kithian. They bruise easily and bounce from one extreme of emotion to another. In such a dark world, people work hard to hurt one another, and goats feel the blows most acutely. They do not benefit from the solid lack of emotion that bolsters the trolls, nor do they have the haughty self-confidence that allows Sidhe to believe it couldn't have been their fault. Satyrs bleed. You, on the other hand, have learned to let these things roll off your back. You indeed feel the blows, but they don't knock you down. Supersonic emotional healing lets you avoid the moodiness that cripples other Satyrs. You love just as deeply as they do, but when your love leaves you, you can tell yourself that there are plenty of other opportunities for devotion, and you believe it. If you have a flexible Heart, you gain the use of one extra Willpower to control yourself in a situation, where another goat might over-react emotionally. Of course, even you realize that you may not be able to control your being forever if the situation continues, so you do all you can to extract yourself. Passion (2pts) - Over the centuries, Satyrs have lost some of their original passion. The goat with the Passion Merit has retained it in full. You persue your interests with the utmost intensity and usually succeed at them. Life holds many fascinating chances for you and you don't want to miss out on them. You grab them up greedily. Mundanities, such as money, mean nothing to you except when they result from the persuit of your Passion. And, because you focus your attention so completely on experience and self-improvement, you do achieve greatness. The Living Time does not affect you because you have the innate ability to handle your Passion. Concentration in this one area permits you to advance more quickly. (The difficulty for all rolls related to your Passion are reduced by 2.) Intimidating Stance (3pts) - You talk a mean talk and walk a mean walk. And there is bite to match your bark. Whenever you enter a room, everyone turns around to look at you. For Satyrs, this presence isn't so unusual, but when others look at you, they appear concerned. Those who know you understand that you're just a sheep in wolves' clothing, but even they don't want to irritate or anger you. Something about you screams, Dangerous! You can exaggerate this effect whenever you want and, thus, actively increase your chances of intimidating someone. With a look or a gesture, you intimate what you wish to do with their bodies once you get hold of them, and they actually believe that you would. (The player must make a Charisma + Intimidation roll, though the difficulty is reduced by 2.) Note: This ability only works on other Changelings, since mortals cannot see all the subtle signals in the Satyr's demeanor. Humans naturally avoid this goat, but they wouldn't be intimidated by him any more than they normally would be. Sex Appeal (3pts) - The sway of your hips and the pout of your lips give you a natural sexiness and sensuality that attract lovers to you like flies to honey. Perhaps it's your pheromones. Whatever the cause, you are sex incarnate. You are irrestible. When you flert, you find many willing minions. This characteristic makes you the centre of attention at any gathering, since they all want to wholeheartedly please you. With a look, a word, or a wave of your hand, you can make or break hearts. Even the most cold-hearted are not immune to your power. Though this does draw unwanted attention sometimes, you almost always manage to extricate yourself from unwanted situations. (The player makes all rolls related to either Charisma or Appearance at a -2 difficulty.) Inspiration (4pts) - The Gift of Pan lets all Satyrs inspire lust in those who hear their music, which lowers inhibitions and strengthens resolve. When you play your instrument, however, you can inspire whatever emotion the song relays. A tender lullaby, when you play it, causes those listening to fall asleep. More rousing tunes get people's bodies moving and they feel the uncontrollable urge to dance. When you play a soulful dirge, your audience weeps. As with the Gift of Pan, only those who fail a Willpower roll (difficulty 7) feel the effects of your music. Sexual Reverie (4pts) - As a rule, Reverie requires the slow and careful cultivation of a Dreamer. The Changeling inspires a mortal to achieve greatness by tapping into the Dreaming and creating a Glamour-filled work. Some Satyrs, however, have the ability to bring mortals to such incredible heights of pleasure that the actual act of having sex produces Glamour that the goat can then harvest. This process takes more than one session usually, though in certain cases, the intensity of a one-night stand is enough. For these epiphanies to work, it must be more than just a literal bumping in the night: The Satyr must establish a special connection between herself and the mortal, which could be a smoldering desire that has built up over time and finally come to fruition, or a fulfillment of the mortal's fantasies, or some similarly magical circumstance. Finding the right time and place generally makes a huge difference, and the Satyr may prepare for months, trying to set up the perfect situation. For a Satyr to achieve epiphany through sex, the player must roll Manipulation + Empathy (difficulty 4). The number of successes rolled equates to the number of Glamour points gained by the Changeling. Gut Instincts (5pts) - When you've got a direct line into the more primal of your instincts, you benefit from the ability to act without thinking first. In certain situations, this instinctiveness can be a very good thing. You may not always know why you are doing what you are, but once the dust has cleared, you realize it was the correct move. This Merit nullifies the effects of surprise and permits you to act normally, though you may not attack, only defend. In cases where you are not surprised, you may pre-empt your opponent's action. (The difficulty for all Wits + Alertness rolls are reduced by 1.) 'Flaws' Swarthy (1pt) - All Satyrs are hairy, right? Well, you take the cake. not only do you have hair on your legs and hips, but it grows profusely over your whole body. Your chest is a thick carpet of curls. Dark waves of this hair cover your arms. A pelt covers your belly and even your back. Many find this revolting--especially on women. Yet, female Satyrs don't have to worry about their faces. For male goats, however, your beard grows so quickly that you've given up shaving; because by the time you get to the left side of your face, the right side has a five-o'clock shadow. But, at least you never have to worry about male-pattern baldness. Only in the rarest of cases does this Flaw extend completely to a Satyr's mortal seeming. You may have monkey arms or a full chest of hair, but only in the most extreme of instances does the hair growth seem abnormal. Satyrs with this flaw make all rolls related to Appearance at an increased difficulty of + 1. Broken Voice (2pts) - Dogs howl when they hear you sing, and babies cry at the very sound of your speaking voice. You were blessed with a broken voice. Like the sound of breaking flass or grinding metal, your voice hurts people's sensibilities. Although you can still play an instrument with no problem, most people want you to not sing. It makes them cringe. A broken voice makes it difficult to woo your love. No one is going to fall for someone who sounds like fingernails scratching down a blackboard or a pencil trying to erase with no eraser. And the worse part is that you don't seem to notice what you sound like or view the reactions of people toward you. Anyone who tries to tell you that you have a disgusting voice draws your immediate ire. After all, it sounds perfectly fine to you. (The difficulty of all Charisma rolls is increased by + 1 for these Satyrs.) Wishy-Washy Ways (3pts) - The Satyr lifestyle involves making snap decisions on a regular basis. When you're given an opportunity, you'd better act quickly or it just might pass you by. Yet, you can't seem to make up your mind fast enough; it takes you a while to sort through all your options, examine the pros and cons, an then decide which is the best decision. You are indecisive to a fault, and you want to discuss the problem with someone more intelligen before you commit. Intense situations, where the action is fast-paced, confuse you and the result is you usually standing in the middle, with a lost look on your face. This attribute frustrates your fellows and sometimes lands you in dangerous situations. (you must make a Willpower roll whenever your character must make a decision, otherwise your character remains undecided about what to do.) Procrastination (3pts) - Distraction comes in many forms and Satyrs often want to do everything all at once. Unfortunately, there is only one of you. You've never heard of the concept of time management, so you skip from one project to the next as your fancy dictates. And when an important obligation comes along, you flit off to have fun rather than perform your duty. That party at your friend's place seems so much more interesting than polishing your mentor's sword--you can do that tomorrow. there will be plenty of time for that tomorrow. But that elusive tomorrow never comes and the task goes shoddily unfinished. Yet, to your credit, you had a damn good time at the party. (You must make a Willpower roll any time your character must choose between duty or fun to see which she chooses.) Parfum de Goat (4pts) - The goat musk is a unique, horrific scent that makes the eyes water. You are a walking, breathing sachet of smelly goat. You're not sure if it's glandular, but you know that it's not because you never bathe. You know plenty of Satyrs who never wash themselves and they don't smell like you do. Actually, you've grown so accustomed to your own odor that you never even notice it. Unfortunately, everyone else does, and they let you know about it. Only the most socially anal-retentive of the Sidhe can pretend that it doesn't bother them, although most don't care whether they hurt your feelings or not. Satyrs themselves are not bothered by your musk. However, all the other Kith, with the exception of Redcaps, who are equally offensive themselves, refuse to stay in the same room with you. This banishment of a sort hinders greatly your chances for romance, for acquiring a title, or even just chatting with the other Changelings. Your stinky goat is at a + 2 difficulty on all Social rolls involving Kith other than Satyrs. Issues (4pts) - You have issues. Whether you're insecure, repressed, or slightly neurotic, or all three, your issues affect your life negatively. You haven't rejected the ideal of freedom, you just can't seem to live up to it. No matter how loudly you proclaim your dedication to the persuit of happiness, you are too afraid to actually act on it. this fear can be crippling to a Satyr. You are the poor love-lorn soul who can never find the courage to tell the person you love how you feel about her. You keep your emotions pent-up inside and let no one know what you need to want. Perhaps your parents taught you that you didn't deserve love or maybe you feel that others are entitled to that last piece of cake more than you are. Whatever the reason, these detrimental feelings keep you from what you most desire. You always let others have the spotlight first and take only what scraps they give you. Player, roll Willpower to see if this Satyr can assert himself and express his needs and desires. Sexual Hang-Up (5pts) - The other Satyrs are out in the weeds romping on Beltaine, but you're sitting alone by the fire because you can't seem to get over your aversion to sex. This repugnance can manifest in several ways. It may not be every aspect of sex that bothers you, but because certain standard acts really turn you off, you're afraid to even ignite something. You may find a partner willing to accommodate your "special" nees, but even then, you never quite get over the fear that she is telling everyone about your hang-ups and that they are all secretly laughing at you. Sometimes it's just easier to remain celibate. To your horror, your Tragos-mates will try to fix you if they discover your problem. Explaining that you don't want their help can be disconcerting, at best. If your inhibition is severe enough, you may eventually find yourself ostracized. The Tragos won't kick you out, but they'll quit inviting you to their parties and gatherings. After all, why would they want a party-pooper like you around? Views on Other Kith From the Changeling: The Dreaming Corebook, Second Edition: Have another drink while Gregorious Galli speaks to you of the Kithian. On Boggans - They work hard, but comfort is their highest goal. I suppose that's the life they want. I don't think it's much of one. On Eshu - Yeah, their stories are great, but their conversations are even better. Talk to one about his travels, and you'll learn a hell of a lot. On Nockers - Their cynicism doesn't last forever, and if they get behind a task, they'll work their asses off. On Pooka - Save for their annoying pranks, they can be useful if you know how to work with them. On Redcaps - What a shame. They think they know passion, but they only know anarchy. On Sidhe - I'll never understand them. One minute, they're fragile and delicate; the next, they're the greatest of heroes. How odd. On Sluagh - Their wisdom is dark and painful. Too bad they're too entrenched in their sorrow to see the truths of life. On Trolls - You want to see nobility? Witness the devotion and honour of a Troll.